U.S. patent application number 10/620723 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Jung, Il-Du, Oh, Jang-Keun.
Application Number | 20040211025 10/620723 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31885030 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040211025 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jung, Il-Du ; et
al. |
October 28, 2004 |
Cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner
Abstract
Disclosed is a cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a
vacuum cleaner, which can effectively and separately collect dust
and also prevents a backflow of fine dust. The apparatus includes a
cyclone body having an air inlet port and an air outlet port, for
forming a vortex current of air which is introduced through the air
inlet port and contains dust, a dust collecting container removably
coupled to the cyclone body so as to collect the dust separated by
centrifugal force of the vortex current in the cyclone body, a
double impeller grill assembly disposed at an upstream portion of
the air outlet port in the cyclone body to prevent the air from
flowing back through the air outlet port, and having a dual
structure having an outer grill and an inner grill, and a fine dust
collecting means disposed at a downstream portion of the double
impeller grill assembly in the cyclone body to collect fine dust
which is not removed by the double impeller grill assembly.
Inventors: |
Jung, Il-Du; (Gwangju-City,
KR) ; Oh, Jang-Keun; (Gwangju-City, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Paul D. Greeley, Esq.
Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, L.L.P.
10th Floor
One Landmark Square
Stamford
CT
06901-2682
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
31885030 |
Appl. No.: |
10/620723 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/353 ;
15/347 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/122 20130101;
A47L 9/1633 20130101; Y10S 55/03 20130101; A47L 9/1666
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/353 ;
015/347 |
International
Class: |
A47L 009/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 28, 2003 |
KR |
10-2003-0026644 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner,
comprising: a cyclone body having an air inlet port and an air
outlet port, for forming a vortex current of air which contains
dust and is introduced through the air inlet portt; a dust
collecting container removably coupled to the cyclone body so as to
collect the dust separated by a centrifugal force of the vortex
current in the cyclone body; a double impeller grill assembly
disposed at an upstream portion of the air outlet port in the
cyclone body to prevent the air from flowing back through the air
outlet port, and having a dual structure comprising an outer grill
and an inner grill; and a fine dust collecting means disposed at a
downstream portion of the double impeller grill assembly in the
cyclone body to collect fine dust which is not removed by the
double impeller grill assembly.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cyclone body comprises a
vortex current chamber member having the air inlet port at an outer
surface thereof and a communicating hole at an upper surface
thereof; and a pressure drop chamber member coupled to the vortex
current chamber member in fluid communication through the
communicating hole and having the air outlet port at an outer
surface thereof, and wherein the double impeller grill assembly is
disposed at the vortex current chamber member, and fine dust
collecting means is disposed at the pressure drop chamber
member.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pressure drop chamber
member comprises a path forming member partitioning an inner space
of the pressure drop chamber member into a first space in fluid
communication with the communicating hole and a second space in
fluid communication with the air outlet port, so that the air
containing the fine dust passing through the double impeller grill
assembly is flown from the upstream portion toward the downstream
portion of the fine dust collecting means and exhausted through the
air outlet port.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fine dust collecting means
comprises a filter mounting portion formed at an upper side of the
path forming member and having a front opening and a plurality of
upper and lower through holes for fluidly communicating the air
outlet guiding path and the air outlet port; and a filter assembly
detachably coupled to the filter mounting portion in a drawer
way.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the filter assembly comprises
a filter case having a shape corresponding to a size and a
structure of the filter mounting portion; and a fine filter
disposed at the filter case.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fine filter is formed of
sponge.
7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a packing member
disposed at a portion of the filter case, which is contacted with
an edge of the front opening.
8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a handle provided
at a front face of the filter case.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the outer grill and the inner
grill are respectively provided with a cylindrical grill body and a
plurality paths formed at an outer surface of the cylindrical grill
body to be fluidly communicated with the communicating hole, and a
dust preventing member is disposed at a lower side of the inner
grill.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the paths are defined by a
plurality of path members which are disposed at an outer surface of
the grill body at regular intervals to be inclined at a desired
angle.
11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the dust preventing member
has a conical portion that is spread downward from a lower end of
the grill body at a desired angle and a cylindrical portion that is
extended downward from the conical portion at a desired
distance.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the dust preventing member
is integrally formed with the grill body.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting container
has a dual structure comprising an outer cylinder which has the
same diameter as that of the cyclone body and an inner cylinder
which has the same diameter as that of the outer grill, and thus is
partitioned into a first dust collecting portion and a second dust
collecting portion, and at least one dust outlet path for
exhausting the dust of the first dust collecting portion to a
second dust collecting portion is formed at a lower side of the
inner cylinder.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a pair of the dust outlet
paths are provided to be opposite to each other.
15. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a suction brush having a nozzle
opened toward an surface to be cleaned and a motor driving chamber
in which a motor for generating a suction force in the nozzle is
mounted; a main body of the vacuum cleaner, which is rotatably
connected to the suction brush and has an air outlet path and an
air inlet path connected to the motor driving chamber, and a
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus removably disposed in a dust
chamber of the main body, for separately collecting dust contained
in air introduced through the nozzle of the suction brush, wherein
the cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus comprises a cyclone body
having an air inlet port connected to the air inlet path and an air
outlet port connected to the air outlet path and forming a vortex
current of the air containing the dust introduced through the air
inlet port; a dust collecting container removably coupled to the
cyclone body so as to collect the dust separated by centrifugal
force of the vortex current in the cyclone body; a double impeller
grill assembly disposed at an upstream portion of the air outlet
port in the cyclone body to prevent the air from flowing back
through the air outlet port, and having a dual structure comprising
an outer grill and an inner grill; and a fine dust collecting means
disposed at a downstream portion of the double impeller grill
assembly in the cyclone body to collect fine dust which is not
removed by the double impeller grill assembly.
16. The cleaner of claim 15, wherein the cyclone body comprises a
vortex current chamber member that the air inlet port is formed at
an outer surface thereof and a communicating hole is formed at an
upper surface thereof; and a pressure drop chamber member coup led
to the vortex current chamber member in fluid communication through
the communicating hole and having the air outlet port at an outer
surface thereof, and wherein the double impeller grill assembly is
disposed at the vortex current chamber member, and the fine dust
collecting means is disposed at the pressure drop chamber
member.
17. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the pressure drop chamber
member comprises a path forming member partitioning an inner space
of the pressure drop chamber member into a first space in fluid
communication with the communicating hole and a second space in
fluid communication with the air outlet port, so that the air
containing the fine dust passing through the double impeller grill
assembly is flown from the upstream portion toward the downstream
portion of the fine dust collecting means and exhausted through the
air outlet port.
18. The cleaner of claim 17, wherein the fine dust collecting means
comprises a filter mounting portion formed at an upper side of the
path forming member and having a front opening and a plurality of
upper and lower through holes for fluidly communicating the air
outlet guiding path and the air outlet port; and a filter assembly
detachably coupled to the filter mounting portion in a drawer
way.
19. The cleaner of claim 18, wherein the filter assembly comprises
a filter case having a shape corresponding to a size and a
structure of the filter mounting portion; and a fine filter
disposed at the filter case.
20. The cleaner of claim 19, wherein the fine filter is formed of
sponge.
21. The cleaner of claim 19, further comprising a packing member
disposed at a portion of the filter case, which is contacted with
an edge of the front opening.
22. The cleaner of claim 19, further comprising a handle provided
at a front face of the filter case.
23. The cleaner of claim 17, wherein the outer grill and the inner
grill are respectively provided with a cylindrical grill body and a
plurality paths formed at an outer surface of the cylindrical grill
body to be in fluid communication with the communicating hole, and
a dust preventing member is disposed at a lower side of the inner
grill.
24. The cleaner of claim 23, wherein the paths are defined by a
plurality of path members which are disposed at an outer surface of
the grill body at regular intervals to be inclined at a desired
angle.
25. The cleaner of claim 23, wherein the dust preventing member has
a conical portion that is spread downward from a lower end of the
grill body at a desired angle and a cylindrical portion that is
extended downward from the conical portion at a desired
distance.
26. The cleaner of claim 25, wherein the dust preventing member is
integrally formed with the grill body.
27. The cleaner of claim 15, wherein the dust collecting container
has a dual structure comprising an outer cylinder which has the
same diameter as that of the cyclone body and an inner cylinder
which has the same diameter as that of the outer grill, and thus is
partitioned into a first dust collecting portion and a second dust
collecting portion, and at least one dust outlet path for
exhausting the dust of the first dust collecting portion to a
second dust collecting portion is formed at a lower side of the
inner cylinder.
28. The cleaner of claim 27, wherein a pair of the dust outlet
paths are provided to be opposite to each other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a dust collecting
apparatus, and more particularly, to a cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, which allows air containing various
dusts and foreign substances (hereinafter, called "dust") to form a
vortex current, thereby collecting the dust from the vortex current
of air by centrifugal force.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a schematic example of a typical
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner.
[0005] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus 100 for the vacuum cleaner generally comprises a cyclone
body 10, a dust collecting container 20 and a grill 30.
[0006] The cyclone body 10 is provided with an air inlet port 11
and an air outlet port 12. The air inlet port 11 is formed at a
side of the cyclone body 10 in a tangential direction, and the air
outlet port 12 is formed at a center portion of an upper face of
the cyclone body 10. Herein, when the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus 100 is disposed in a dust chamber 230, the air inlet port
11 is connected to an air inlet path 210 which is disposed at a
main body 200 of the vacuum cleaner so that an end of the air inlet
path 210 is exposed to the dust chamber 230, and the air outlet
port 12 is connected to an air outlet path 220 of the main body 200
of the vacuum cleaner. Therefore, the air introduced through a
suction brush 300 and containing the dust is introduced through the
air inlet path 210 of the main body 200 of the vacuum cleaner and
the air inlet port 11 into the cyclone body 10 in the tangential
direction. Thus, a vortex current of air is formed in the cyclone
body 10, and the dust contained in the vortex current is separated
by centrifugal force, and then the purified air is exhausted
through the air outlet port 12, the air outlet path 220 of the main
body 200 of the vacuum cleaner and a motor driving chamber 310.
[0007] The dust collecting container 20 is removably coupled to a
lower portion of the cyclone body 10 so as to collect the dust
separated from the air by the vortex current.
[0008] The grill 30 is disposed at an upstream portion of the air
outlet port 12 in the cyclone body 10 so that the dust separated
from the vortex current dose not flow backward through the air
outlet port 12. The grill 30 is provided with a grill body 31 and a
plurality of paths 32 formed at an outer surface of the grill body
so as to be fluidly communicated with the air outlet port 12.
Further, the grill 30 has a dust preventing member 33 disposed at a
lower portion of the grill body 31.
[0009] The conventional cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus as
described above is mounted in the dust chamber 230 of the main body
200 of the vacuum cleaner so that the air inlet port 11 and the air
outlet port 12 of the cyclone body 10 are connected to the air
inlet path 210 and the air outlet path 220 of the main body 200 of
the vacuum cleaner.
[0010] When starting a cleaning operation, a suction force is
generated at the suction brush 300 due to driving of a motor in the
motor driving chamber 310. Then, the air containing the dust on a
surface of an object to be cleaned is introduced through the
suction brush 300, the air inlet path 210 and the air inlet port 11
into the cyclone body 10 due to the suction force. At this time,
the introduced air is induced from the air inlet port 11 along an
internal interference of the cyclone body 10 in an oblique
direction, thereby forming the vortex current of air. Therefore,
the dust contained in the air is separated by the centrifugal force
and collected in the dust collecting container 20. Then, the
purified air is exhausted through the path 32 of the grill 30, the
air outlet port 12, the air outlet path 220 and the motor driving
chamber 310 to the outside.
[0011] In the above mentioned cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus, the collecting and the preventing of the backflow of the
dust separated from the vortex current are important factors that
have great influence on a collecting efficiency. Therefore, there
have been steady attempts and studies for efficiently collecting
the dust and preventing of the backflow of the dust. However, it
reaches a limit of the development due to a structure of the
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus.
[0012] That is, since the conventional cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus has a structure in which the dust collected in the dust
collecting container 20 is ascended upward by an ascending air
current reflected by a bottom surface of the dust collecting
container 20, there are some problems that the collecting operation
of the dust is inefficiently performed and also fine dust out of
the ascending dust, which is smaller than a size of the path 32 of
the grill 30, is exhausted through the path 32 of the grill 30 to
the outside, thereby deteriorating the dust collecting
efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Therefore, it is one aspect of the present invention to
provide a cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum
cleaner, which can prevent the ascending of the dust collected in
the dust collecting container and also collect the fine dust
contained in the air, thereby reducing the backflow of the fine
dust and thus increasing the dust collecting efficiency.
[0014] It is other aspect of the present invention to provide a
vacuum cleaner with a cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus having
the above-mentioned characteristic.
[0015] To achieve the above aspects and/or other advantages and
features of the present invention, there is provided a cyclone-type
dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner including a cyclone
body having an air inlet port and an air outlet port, for forming a
vortex current of air which is introduced through the air inlet
port and contains dust, a dust collecting container removably
coupled to the cyclone body so as to collect the dust separated by
centrifugal force of the vortex current in the cyclone body, a
double impeller grill assembly disposed at an upstream portion of
the air outlet port in the cyclone body to prevent the air from
flowing back through the air outlet port, and having a dual
structure comprising an outer grill and an inner grill, and a fine
dust collecting means disposed at a downstream portion of the
double impeller grill assembly in the cyclone body to collect fine
dust which is not removed by the double impeller grill
assembly.
[0016] Preferably, the cyclone body comprises a vortex current
chamber member that the air inlet port is formed at an outer
surface thereof and a communicating hole is formed at an upper
surface thereof, and a pressure drop chamber member coupled to the
vortex current chamber member to be in fluid communication through
the communicating hole and having the air outlet port at an outer
surface thereof, and the double impeller grill assembly is disposed
at the vortex current chamber member, and fine dust collecting
means is disposed at the pressure drop chamber member.
[0017] Further, the pressure drop chamber member comprises a path
forming member partitioning an inner space of the pressure drop
chamber member into a first space fluidly communicated with the
communicating hole and a second space fluidly communicated with the
air outlet port, so that the air containing the fine dust passing
through the double impeller grill assembly is flown from the
upstream portion toward the downstream portion of the fine dust
collecting means and exhausted through the air outlet port.
[0018] The fine dust collecting means comprises a filter mounting
portion formed at an upper side of the path forming member and
having a front opening and a plurality of upper and lower through
holes for fluidly communicating the air outlet guiding path and the
air outlet port, and a filter assembly detachably coupled to the
filter mounting portion in a drawer way.
[0019] The filter assembly comprises a filter case having a shape
corresponding to a size and a structure of the filter mounting
portion, and a fine filter disposed at the filter case.
[0020] The fine filter is formed of sponge, and the apparatus
further comprises a packing member disposed at a portion of the
filter case, which is contacted with an edge of the front opening
and a handle provided at a front face of the filter case.
[0021] Furthermore, the outer grill and the inner grill are
respectively provided with a cylindrical grill body and a plurality
paths formed at an outer surface of the cylindrical grill body to
be fluidly communicated with the communicating hole, and a dust
preventing member is disposed at a lower side of the inner
grill.
[0022] The paths are defined by a plurality of path members which
are disposed at an outer surface of the grill body at regular
intervals to be inclined at a desired angle.
[0023] Preferably, the dust preventing member has a conical portion
that is spread downward from a lower end of the grill body at a
desired angle and a cylindrical portion that is extended downward
from the conical portion at a desired distance, and the dust
preventing member is integrally formed with the grill body.
[0024] The dust collecting container has a dual structure
comprising an outer cylinder which has the same diameter as that of
the cyclone body and an inner cylinder which has the same diameter
as that of the outer grill, and thus is partitioned into a first
dust collecting portion and a second dust collecting portion, and
at least one dust outlet path for exhausting the dust of the first
dust collecting portion to a second dust collecting portion is
formed at a lower side of the inner cylinder.
[0025] According to the present invention, there is provided a
vacuum cleaner, comprising a suction brush having a nozzle opened
toward an surface to be cleaned and a motor driving chamber in
which a motor for generating a suction force in the nozzle is
mounted, a main body of the vacuum cleaner, which is rotatably
connected to the suction brush and has an air outlet path and an
air inlet path connected to the motor driving chamber, and a
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus removably disposed in a dust
chamber of the main body, for separately collecting dust contained
in air introduced through the nozzle of the suction brush, wherein
the cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus comprises a cyclone body
having an air inlet port connected to the air inlet path and an air
outlet port connected to the air outlet path and forming a vortex
current of the air containing the dust introduced through the air
inlet port, a dust collecting container removably coupled to the
cyclone body so as to collect the dust separated by centrifugal
force of the vortex current in the cyclone body, a double impeller
grill assembly disposed at an upstream portion of the air outlet
port in the cyclone body to prevent the air from flowing back
through the air outlet port, and having a dual structure comprising
an outer grill and an inner grill, and a fine dust collecting means
disposed at a downstream portion of the double impeller grill
assembly in the cyclone body to collect fine dust which is not
removed by the double impeller grill assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The above objects and other advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent by describing in detail
preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached
drawings in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional cyclone-type
dust collecting apparatus and a vacuum cleaner having the
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a dust separating
and collecting process of the conventional cyclone-type dust
collecting apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a cyclone-type
dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of
FIG. 3;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line V-V of
FIG. 4;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line VI-VI of
FIG. 4;
[0033] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing a pressure drop
chamber member and a vortex current chamber member constituting a
cyclone body of the cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus
according to the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a dust collecting container
of the cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus according to the
present invention; and
[0035] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a status that the
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus is mounted in the vacuum
cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus 100 for a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of
the present invention comprises a cyclone body 110, a dust
collecting container 130, a double impeller grill assembly 150 and
a fine dust collecting means 170.
[0038] The cyclone body 110 is comprised of a vortex current
chamber member 111 and a pressure drop chamber member 121 which are
separated to each other. Alternatively, the vortex current chamber
member 111 and the pressure drop chamber member 121 may be
integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 8, the vortex current chamber
member 111 has a cylindrical structure of which a lower side is
opened. At an outer circumferential surface of the vortex current
chamber member 111, there is formed an air inlet port 112. At a
center portion of an upper surface, thereof is formed a
communicating hole 113. The air inlet port 112 is formed in a
tangential direction with respect to the outer circumferential
surface. Therefore, the air introduced into the air inlet port 112
forms a vortex current in the vortex current chamber member 111.
Furthermore, at a circumference of an inner portion of the vortex
current chamber member 111, there are formed a plurality of inward
latching portions 114 and outward latching portions 115 at regular
intervals. A purpose of the latching portions 114 and 115 is to
install the double impeller grill assembly 150, and a more complete
explanation will be given later on.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, the pressure drop chamber member 121 has
a cylindrical structure of which a lower side is opened. At an
outer circumferential surface of the pressure drop chamber member
121, there is formed an air outlet port 122. Further, the pressure
drop chamber member 121 has a path forming member 123 for
partitioning a first space S1 fluidly communicated with the
communicating hole 113 of the vortex current chamber member 111 and
a second space S2 fluidly communicated with the air outlet port
122. Herein, the spaces S1 and S2 form an air outlet guiding path
123a. Thus, as shown by an arrow of FIGS. 5 and 6, the air is
exhausted through the fine dust collecting means 170 to the air
outlet port 122, as described below.
[0040] The dust collecting container 130 is removably coupled to a
lower portion of the cyclone body 110, i.e., the vortex current
chamber member 111, so as to collect the dust separated from the
air by the centrifugal force of the vortex current. As shown in
FIG. 9, the dust collecting container 130 has a dual structure
comprising an outer cylinder 131 and an inner cylinder 132, and
thus is partitioned into a first dust collecting portion C1 and a
second dust collecting portion C2. The outer cylinder 131 is formed
to have the same diameter as that of the vortex current chamber
member 111, and the inner cylinder 132 is formed to have a smaller
diameter than that of the outer cylinder 131. Preferably, the
diameter of the inner cylinder 132 is the same as that of an outer
grill 151 of the double impeller grill assembly 150, which will be
described below. In addition, at a lower side of the inner cylinder
132, a pair of dust outlet paths 133 for exhausting the dust from
the first dust collecting portion C1 to a second dust collecting
portion C2 are formed to be opposite to each other. The outer
cylinder 131 is formed with a handle 134. In the drawings, there is
described the dust collecting container 130 having the pair of dust
outlet paths 133. However, only a single or 3.about.4 dust outlet
paths 133 may be formed.
[0041] The double impeller grill assembly 150 is disposed at an
upstream portion of the air outlet port 122 in the cyclone body
110, more concretely, at a circumference of the communicating hole
113 of the vortex current chamber member 111 so as to prevent a
backflow of the dust separated from the air through the air outlet
port 122.
[0042] The double impeller grill assembly 150 has a dual structure
comprising an outer grill 151 and an inner grill 156 according to a
characteristic of the present invention. The outer grill 151 has a
cylindrical grill body 152 of which upper and lower portions are
opened and which is formed with a plurality of paths 153 at an
outer surface thereof. A plurality of first latching protrusions
154 formed at an inner portion of an upper end of the grill body
152 at regular intervals are coupled to the outward latching
portions 115 formed at the circumference of the communicating hole
113 of the vortex current chamber member 111. The inner grill 156
has a cylindrical grill body 157 of which upper and lower portions
are opened and which is formed with a plurality of paths 158 at an
outer surface thereof. A plurality of second latching protrusions
159 formed at an outer portion of an upper end of the grill body
157 at regular intervals are coupled to the inward latching
portions 114 formed at the circumference of the communicating hole
113 of the vortex current chamber member 111.
[0043] Furthermore, the inner grill 156 is formed with a dust
preventing member 160 which is disposed at a lower side of the
grill body 157 so as to reflect the dust ascended in the dust
collecting container 130 so that the dust is caught again into the
vortex current of air. The dust preventing member 160 is not
limited to a certain shape. However, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it
is effective in an aspect of the dust reflection to have a conical
portion 161 that is spread downward from a lower end of the grill
body 157 at a desired angle and a cylindrical portion 162 that is
extended downward from the conical portion 161 at a desired
distance. Preferably, the dust preventing member 160 is integrally
formed with the inner grill 156.
[0044] Meanwhile, it is preferred that the paths 153 and 158 of the
outer and inner grills 151 and 156 are defined by a plurality of
path members which are disposed at an outer surface of the grill
body 152 and 157 at regular intervals to be inclined at a desired
angle. However, it is not limited to this condition. The paths 153
and 158 may be formed by directly punching a plurality of fine
through holes in the outer surface of the grill body 151, 157. The
former method is more effective in an aspect of preventing the
backflow of the dust and thus mainly used.
[0045] The fine dust collecting means 170 is disposed at a downward
portion of the double impeller grill assembly 150 in the cyclone,
i.e., at an inner portion of the pressure drop chamber member 121,
so that the fine dust which is not separated by the double impeller
grill assembly 150 is collected once again. Therefore, the backflow
of the dust by which the fine dust is exhausted together with the
air to the outside is prevented, thereby increasing the dust
collecting efficiency of the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus.
[0046] The fine dust collecting means 170 is provided with a filter
mounting portion 171 and a filter assembly 172. The filter mounting
portion 171 is formed at an upper side of the path forming member
123 of the pressure drop chamber member 121 and has a plurality of
upper and lower through holes 171a, 171b and a front opening 171c.
The filter assembly 172 is detachably installed through the front
opening 171c to the filter mounting portion 171 in a drawer way and
also has a filter case 173 and a fine filter 174. At a portion of
the filter case 173, which is contacted with an edge of the front
opening, there is provided a packing member 175 for sealing. At a
front face of the filter case 173, there is provided a handle 176.
The fine filter 174 may be formed of sponge, nonwoven fabric,
etc.
[0047] The above-mentioned cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus
100 for a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present
invention, as shown in FIG. 10, is disposed in a dust chamber 230
of a main body of the vacuum cleaner so that the air inlet port 112
and the air outlet port 122 of the cyclone body 110 are
respectively connected to an air inlet path 210 and an air outlet
path 220 of the main body of the vacuum cleaner.
[0048] When starting a cleaning operation, a suction force is
generated at a nozzle of a suction brush 300 due to driving of a
motor in a motor driving chamber 310. Then, the air containing the
dust on a surface of an object to be cleaned is introduced through
the nozzle of the suction brush 300, the air inlet path 210 and the
air inlet port 112 into the vortex current chamber member 111 of
the cyclone body 110 due to the suction force. The air containing
the dust, which is introduced through the air inlet port 112 to the
vortex current chamber member 111, forms a vortex current having a
large diameter with the outer grill 151 of the double impeller
grill assembly 150 in the center. Therefore, the comparative large
dust is separated by the centrifugal force and then collected in
the second dust collecting portion C2 of the dust collecting
container 130. Then, the air in which the large dust is firstly
collected forms the vortex current having a small diameter with the
inner grill 156 of the double impeller grill assembly 150 in the
center, whereby the dust is secondly separated and then collected
in the first dust collecting portion C1 of the dust collecting
container 130. As described above, since the large dust and the
comparative small dust is separately collected in the dust
collecting container 130, that is, the large dust is collected in
the second dust collecting portion C2 and the comparative small
dust is collected in the first dust collecting portion C1, it is
prevented that the path of the grill assembly 150 is clogged by the
large dust. Further, since an intensity of the vortex current in
the first dust collecting portion C1 for collecting the small dust
is weakened, the ascending of the dust is prevented, thereby
effectively collecting the dust.
[0049] The air in which the dust is separated as described above is
introduced through the paths 153 and 158 of the grill assembly 150
and the communicating hole 113 into the pressure drop chamber
member 121. Herein, the air which is introduced in the pressure
drop chamber member 121 contains the fine dust. As shown in FIGS. 5
and 6, the dust containing the fine dust is flown in an arrow
direction along the air outlet guiding path 123a formed in the
pressure drop chamber member, and then exhausted through the
upstream of the fine dust collecting means 170, the downstream of
the fine dust collecting means 170 and the air outlet port 122 to
the outside. The fine dust contained in the air is filtered and
collected by the fine filter 174 of the fine dust collecting means
170, while passing through the fine dust collecting means 170. Only
the clean air is exhausted through the air outlet port 122. Herein,
the fine dust collected by the fine dust collecting means 170
exists in the upper side of the fine dust collecting means 170 due
to the structure of the air outlet guiding path 123a. Therefore, it
is each to remove the collected fine dust without drop of the dust
on the floor.
[0050] Meanwhile, the purified air exhausted through the air outlet
port 122 is finally exhausted through the air outlet path 220 and
the motor driving chamber 310 of the main body 200 of the vacuum
cleaner to the outside.
[0051] According to the present invention as described above, since
the dust is separately collected in the dust collecting container
according to its size, clogging of the path of the grill by the
large dust and also the ascending of the small dust are prevented,
so that the dust can be collected effectively.
[0052] Furthermore, since the fine dust contained in the air is
filtered and collected by the fine filter which is disposed at the
downstream of the grill, exhaustion of the fine dust together with
the air to the outside is prevented, and as a result, the dust
collecting and cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is
improved.
[0053] Further, since the cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus of
the present invention has a structure that the air passes from an
upper portion of the fine filter toward a lower portion of the fine
filter, and thus the fine dust is existed in the upper side of the
fine filter, the fine dust can be removed very effectively.
[0054] That is, according to the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to provide a
satisfactory vacuum cleaner in an aspect of a customer's
preference, thereby increasing a comparativeness of the
product.
[0055] While the present invention has been described in detail, it
should be understood that various changes, substitutions and
alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *